IB Physics tutor Singapore
IB Physics tutors for the current SL and HL syllabus.
One-to-one support for Diploma Physics students in Singapore, built around the five themes, the redesigned papers first examined in 2025, and the school's exam timeline.
The course
The five themes of IB Physics.
The current IB Physics course, first examined in 2025, replaced the old core and option topics with five themes. SL has 150 recommended teaching hours and HL has 240. HL students study every SL topic plus additional HL content, mostly within the same themes.
A. Space, time and motion
Kinematics, forces and momentum, and work, energy and power. HL adds rigid body mechanics and Galilean and special relativity.
B. The particulate nature of matter
Thermal energy transfers, the greenhouse effect, the gas laws, and current and circuits. HL adds thermodynamics, including entropy.
C. Wave behaviour
Simple harmonic motion, the wave model, wave phenomena, standing waves and resonance, and the Doppler effect, with extra depth at HL.
D. Fields
Gravitational, electric, and magnetic fields, and motion in electromagnetic fields. HL adds electromagnetic induction.
E. Nuclear and quantum physics
Atomic structure, radioactive decay, fission, and stars and stellar evolution. HL adds quantum physics.
Assessment
How IB Physics is examined now.
There are two written papers and an internal assessment; the old Paper 3 has gone. Paper 1 combines multiple-choice questions (1A) with data-based questions on practical work (1B). Paper 2 is short-answer and extended-response questions across all themes, often linking several of them.
Official IB Physics overview| Component | Format | SL | HL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 1A multiple choice, 1B data-based questions | 1 h 30 min · 36% | 2 h · 36% |
| Paper 2 | Short-answer and extended-response questions | 1 h 30 min · 44% | 2 h 30 min · 44% |
| Internal assessment | Scientific investigation | 20% | 20% |
Where marks go
Five places Physics students commonly lose marks.
Students who understand physics in class can still underperform in IB papers. The gaps are usually specific and fixable once they are identified from real marked work.
Explaining, not just calculating
Many IB Physics marks are for written explanation using correct physics language. Students who can calculate an answer but describe the idea vaguely, or with everyday words, drop these marks repeatedly.
Units, significant figures, and the data booklet
Answers without units, with too many significant figures, or using the wrong equation from the data booklet lose marks even when the method is right. Fluency with the data booklet saves time in both papers.
Graphs and uncertainties
Paper 1B and many Paper 2 questions test practical skills: reading gradients and intercepts, error bars, and propagating uncertainties. Students who skip practical work in class often find these the hardest marks to earn.
Questions that link themes
The current syllabus is organised around connections between themes, so a question might combine energy with fields, or waves with quantum ideas. Students who revise one chapter at a time struggle with these.
Using older past papers without adjusting
Papers written before 2025 still help with shared content, but they include option topics that are no longer examined and miss some new content. Practice needs to be selected, not just worked through in date order.
Internal assessment
The scientific investigation is 20% of the grade.
Each student carries out an open-ended scientific investigation and writes a report of up to 3,000 words. It is marked by the school and moderated by the IB against four equally weighted criteria. Separately, all science students take part in the collaborative sciences project, which is required but not graded.
The investigations that score well have a focused research question, enough data across a sensible range, uncertainties handled properly, and an evaluation that discusses the real weaknesses of the method rather than generic ones. Planning matters more than the final write-up.
What a tutor can and cannot do.
A tutor can teach the physics, uncertainty analysis, and graphing skills the investigation needs, and explain the criteria. The student designs the investigation, collects and analyses the data, and writes every word. EliteMind does not write or complete assessed work.
How lessons work
A plan that follows the two-year course.
Mechanics and core skills
Make Theme A reliable, since much of the course builds on it, and build habits early: units, significant figures, data booklet use, and graphs with uncertainties.
Internal assessment and the full course
Support the investigation within the rules, complete the remaining themes, including HL content, and start practising questions that link themes together.
Exam technique
Timed Paper 1 and Paper 2 practice, carefully selected past questions, and a review of every lost mark by type, especially explanations and data-based questions.
Singapore schools
Schools in Singapore that offer the IB Diploma.
Students at these schools may be able to take Physics as part of the Diploma, depending on each school's own subject offerings. EliteMind is independent and not affiliated with any of these schools.
- United World College of South East Asia (Dover and East)
- Tanglin Trust School
- Dulwich College (Singapore)
- Stamford American International School
- Canadian International School
- Australian International School
- ACS (International)
- ACS (Independent)
- St. Joseph's Institution International
- Global Indian International School
- School of the Arts (SOTA)
Tuition rates
What IB Physics tuition costs.
A practical market range for one-to-one IB tuition in Singapore is approximately S$55 to S$130 per hour. HL support and tutors with long IB Physics teaching experience tend to sit in the upper part of the range. This is planning guidance, not a quotation; the exact rate is confirmed before lessons begin.
How tuition rates work in SingaporeParent questions
IB Physics tuition FAQs
How much does an IB Physics tutor cost in Singapore?
As an indicative Singapore market guide, one-to-one IB tuition commonly falls around S$55 to S$130 per hour. HL support and tutors with long IB Physics teaching experience tend to sit in the upper part of that range. EliteMind confirms the tutor's exact rate before any lesson starts.
What changed in the IB Physics syllabus?
The current course was first examined in 2025. Content is now organised into five themes (A to E) instead of the old core and option topics, Paper 3 and the options were removed, and Paper 1 now includes data-based questions in section 1B. The internal assessment is a scientific investigation marked against four criteria.
Are old IB Physics past papers still useful?
Yes, for content both syllabuses share, such as mechanics, thermal physics, waves, and fields. Skip questions on the removed option topics, and add practice on new or moved content and on data-based questions. A tutor who has taught the current course can select the right questions.
Should my child take IB Physics at SL or HL?
HL suits students aiming for engineering, physics, and related degrees, many of which expect HL Physics alongside HL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches. SL keeps physics in the Diploma with a lighter load. Check university entry requirements before deciding.
Can a tutor help with the IB Physics internal assessment?
A tutor can teach the physics behind the investigation, explain the four criteria, and help the student understand uncertainty analysis and graphing. The student must design the investigation, collect and analyse the data, and write the report. EliteMind does not write or complete assessed work.
When is the IB Physics exam?
Most international schools in Singapore sit the May examination session at the end of Year 2. Some schools that follow the local January to November calendar sit the November session. Ask the school which session your child is entered for, because it sets the revision timeline.
Find an IB Physics tutor for the level and timeline.
Share SL or HL, the year group, the themes covered so far, recent marks, and the next deadline. We will recommend a tutor and a sensible starting point.